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The Puffy Coat is the Fashion – Framing Vintage Posters as Art

When I purchased my 1960s posters from Hungary – which first found a home in the townhouse kitchen, and then moved to the master bedroom in the lakehouse – I intended for the poster with the girl in the tweed suit and the poster with the green hat to hang side by side.  When a weirdly high outlet threw a wrench in my plans to hang two posters side by side in the kitchen, I ended up hanging all three posters together to hide the outlet.

Quite frankly, I didn’t look at them all that much because normally I had my back to them while I was cooking.  When we moved to the lakehouse, I hung all three together again – almost out of habit.

Once the posters were positioned across from the bed, I looked at them a lot more.  Every morning and every night, I contemplated the arrangement.  I no longer liked the three together because the two figural ones really competed for attention.  But two alone seemed too skimpy (I like big art, or big groupings of art).

I started casually shopping for another poster.  Then, a few months ago, I received an email from the seller from whom I bought my posters when I was in Budapest.  He was having a sale and some of his posters were marked down.  Lo and behold, a poster I had admired while I was in Budapest – but had deemed too spendy – was 50% off!  I thought it would be the perfect piece to shake things up, so I ordered it and had it shipped here – much to my Mom’s chagrin (it was one of her favorites too).  When it arrived, I had to wonder why I didn’t scoop it up in the first place.  What was I thinking?  The design is so cool and the colours are really vivid – plus I still love a good houndstooth.

I recently got it back from the framer – was it ever tricky trying to find the exact same frame as the others – and I’m so happy!  I am really quite besotted with the new arrangement.  Each one has a really different scale and style, but the styles seem to jive better than the previous arrangement, and the colour green unifies them all.

Here’s a better look at the new addition.  It says, “The Puffy Coat is the Fashion”.

For now, please ignore the new furniture.  I’ve mentioned that some bedroom changes are on the horizon and I’ll spill the beans soon – you know how one change sometimes has a cascading effect?  For now, here’s one sneak peek at what’s to come.

One small detail I overlooked: where to hang the displaced gal with all of her parcels???

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35 Comments

  1. wellfedfred
    April 7, 2015 / 2:27 pm

    I know where the parcel-lady belongs – my house! I've loved her from the minute you first posted a picture of her.

    • Tanya from Dans le Townhouse
      April 7, 2015 / 4:20 pm

      If I ever part with it you've got dibs 🙂

    • wellfedfred
      April 7, 2015 / 7:19 pm

      Thank you, I will remember that!

    • Tanya from Dans le Townhouse
      May 1, 2015 / 4:31 pm

      Holy crap!!! I paid less than $200. I want to say $125, but my brain might be softening the blow and maybe it was actually $175? $900 is quite spendy – you need to really love something for that price, because there is still the cost of framing, which would range from $100-300.

    • beach_bum
      May 1, 2015 / 9:36 pm

      Isn't that crazy? You could sell yours at quite a profit! 😉

    • Tanya from Dans le Townhouse
      May 1, 2015 / 10:45 pm

      Hmmmm. Can't part with it right now. I might be tempted one day if I'm ever really hard up for cash, lol.

  2. Dora C
    April 7, 2015 / 5:40 pm

    I love the new poster! The three of them look so good together – love the 50s vibe :)Dorahttp://www.adropofindigo.ca/

    • Tanya from Dans le Townhouse
      April 8, 2015 / 6:16 pm

      Thanks! Of course I love their retro vibe!!

  3. Michelle {Jarrah Jungle}
    April 8, 2015 / 1:31 am

    Awesome artworks they look great framed and group together like that 🙂

    • Tanya from Dans le Townhouse
      April 8, 2015 / 6:19 pm

      Thanks!! They came in different sizes, so the other challenge has been picking ones in a similar size.

  4. brikhouse2
    April 8, 2015 / 1:49 pm

    The shopping girl can come visit me, I have the perfect spot lol. She is my fave of the 4.

    • Tanya from Dans le Townhouse
      April 8, 2015 / 6:20 pm

      Haha, she's a popular lady!

  5. cred
    April 8, 2015 / 4:11 pm

    A perfect match. I had thought the hat looked like it was the odd man out but now I see that the two figural (good word) ones were completing. I think the new one works perfectly because it creates a balance of white while the woman with parcels has too little white background for the grouping. She's a favourite for me, too- I hope she finds a good spot. I love the sneak peek of the fabric swatch- the colour is another perfect match and the texture is fantastic.

    • Tanya from Dans le Townhouse
      April 8, 2015 / 6:22 pm

      You're right, the white backgrounds make a difference. The gal with the parcels can stand on her own. She'll find a home, I knowit. Just need to do the art sshuffle, lol. Truthfully, the tweed woman is my favorite, but this new one is a close second. But I may be biased, because the tweed one also hangs in a museum in Hungary!

  6. Ariadne
    April 8, 2015 / 9:11 pm

    Oh put them all four together!The little red girl will be lonely!AriadnefromGreece!

    • Tanya from Dans le Townhouse
      April 8, 2015 / 11:19 pm

      I wish I had a wall long enough! But I love these three together – they make me happy every time I see them. And I know the other one will find the perfect home eventually.

  7. Shlee
    April 16, 2015 / 2:13 am

    I'm super excited by your post, because I'm heading to Budapest for the second time in May. Would you be willing to share the name of your poster guy? Or any other vintage/antique store recommendations? I would greatly appreciate it the help, from one mid-century Eastern Europe lover to another 🙂

    • Tanya from Dans le Townhouse
      April 16, 2015 / 2:32 am

      I'm so excited for you!! My mom has sworn me to secrecy, because she doesn't want anyone buying the dozen or so posters she likes but won't buy, lol. But if you email me I can send the info, along with links to some cool things to see. [email protected]

  8. OlyaWJ
    April 22, 2015 / 2:37 pm

    What a great blog! I really love your taste and I appreciate do-able DYI projects. Also I think you should sell those posters on your Etsy shop! I will be the first to buy them. 🙂 Thanks again for sharing.

    • Tanya from Dans le Townhouse
      April 23, 2015 / 6:17 pm

      Thanks so much! Unfortunately, I've never stumbled across any vintage posters – other than this one dealer, who specializes in them. If I ever find any more, I'll scoop them up!

  9. beach_bum
    May 1, 2015 / 2:22 pm

    Can't wait to see your new bedroom furniture!! I don't know if you remember the big conversation we had about dressers and chests…I STILL have to buy one of each. Instead, what have I bought? A big beautiful painting by Erin Gregory! http://www.efgart.com/ My next big purchase will definitely be a chest and dresser, though. 🙂 Looking forward to seeing yours!

    • Tanya from Dans le Townhouse
      May 1, 2015 / 4:35 pm

      I DO remember our conversation – I spent hours pouring through the websites we chatted about. In the end I chose something really affordable from a Canadian chain store. They have a location in my city and actually delivered out to my rural spot. The thought of driving hundreds of km to pick something up worried me. I'd hate to dent something on the way! I am loving Erin's art – I cannot fault you for putting furniture on the back burner, lol. Her floral paintings just EXUDE energy. But I have to say that I love her figure paintings, which is not normally something I gravitate toward. Thanks for the link. I know what I'll be pining for today 🙂 (P.S. Which one did you buy?).

    • beach_bum
      May 1, 2015 / 5:10 pm

      It's not hard to spend a lot of time looking at beautiful furniture, I know. 🙂 That's fantastic you found something you liked + that it was affordable + delivered! Can't beat that. I'm so looking forward to the big reveal!! Yes, her art is just amazing ~ so beautiful. The gallery has taken down the image, but you can see the piece I bought on Erin's Instagram page – it's called "Blooming Into June #4."

    • Tanya from Dans le Townhouse
      May 1, 2015 / 10:51 pm

      I started following her on IG earlier today, right after I read your comment 🙂 I can't find it on her IG but I did find the gallery, I think, because 4 is missing. I like all the ones around it, so I imagine yours is a stunner!! Such a good purchase – you'll treasure that always, and what a perfect way to brighten up a home and inject some happiness.

    • beach_bum
      May 2, 2015 / 12:46 am

      It's the piece she posted on April 28th – https://instagram.com/egregoryart/ Thanks…it wasn't the most practical purchase (I admit), but…I love it and will definitely treasure it! Danielle O'Connor Akiyama is another artist whose work I would LOVE to have hanging in my home…maybe one day! Here is a little video of her + her work:

      If you ever get the chance to see her work, take it. 🙂

    • beach_bum
      May 2, 2015 / 12:24 pm

      Bobbie Burgers is another phenomenal Canadian artist you might like. 🙂

    • Tanya from Dans le Townhouse
      May 2, 2015 / 5:30 pm

      I Love Bobbie Burgers! I saw her home in a magazine a few years ago – maybe Canadian House & Home? I remember a bright yellow stove + bright yellow art in her kitchen. I love her bold use of colours – it's intense! I'm such a dummy! I skipped the most recent IG posts and assumed it was deeper in her IG feed. Lol. It's the second one. It's GORGEOUS!! Of course I love the teal accents, haha. But the scale and everything is just so pretty. Yup – definitely a good buy. I will check out Danielle's work too! Are you trying to tempt me into a purchase???

    • beach_bum
      May 3, 2015 / 4:26 am

      Isn't Bobbie Burgers insanely talented? Her work blows me away. I was super excited when I heard she was coming to Toronto – I actually thought maybe I could purchase one of her pieces. Ha ha ha ha ha. How little did I know. Anyhow, still love her.If only we could buy all the art we love and have all the walls (big ones!) we need to display it! Ha ha – you're funny. 😉 My aunt has a triptych by Danielle – the first time I saw it, I literally gasped. Keep me posted on any art purchases! 🙂

    • Tanya from Dans le Townhouse
      May 1, 2015 / 4:37 pm

      That is AWESOME!! I love that you can search by country. Now I'm super curious about Canadian vintage posters (something Hubby could read, lol). Thanks for the link!

    • beach_bum
      May 1, 2015 / 5:19 pm

      Yeah, it's a super site, eh? I didn't realize how many fun and interesting posters there were out there!!

    • safaffect
      May 12, 2015 / 4:07 pm

      That is a great site, @beach_bum. Thanks for sharing.

  10. safaffect
    May 12, 2015 / 4:05 pm

    Ooooh, I love the look of these posters. Especially the one noting 'forints'. 🙂 I have to get me some!

    • Tanya from Dans le Townhouse
      May 13, 2015 / 1:52 am

      Thanks! Yes – you do need one! Many of the fashion posters at the time included prices, so that would be a good search parameter to help narrow it down. Plus, they're pretty! But there were posters for everything, from tourism to agriculture to electronics and politics.

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